Cross-border cattle rustling worries villagers

By Mashudu Netsianda VILLAGERS in Tshitulipasi area in Beitbridge District and neighbouring Madimbo outside Musina in South Africa have expressed concern over rampant cross-border stocktheft cases occurring between the two countries. The councillor for Ward One, which embraces Tshitulipasi village, Clr Enock Ndou said cattle rustlers were stealing beasts from either side of the border and smuggling them into neighbouring Mozambique through the Sengwe corridor. "We are getting more and more cases of cattle being stolen from Tshitulipasi and Madimbo in South Africa, which are then smuggled into Mozambique and we suspect there is a well-orchestrated syndicate involving some locals, Mozambicans and South Africans," he said. Recently police in Beitbridge recovered 60 head which stockthieves intended to smuggle into Mozambique. Three suspects were arrested in the process. They were two locals and a Mozambican. Clr Ndou said last week they had a meeting with their South African counterparts over the issue. The meeting was also attended by Chief Matibe and Chief Sengwe from neighbouring Chiredzi district. "We had a meeting with villagers and all the relevant stakeholders in which our South African counterparts offered to put security personnel at some illegal crossing points through which the suspects drive the stolen cattle," said Clr Ndou. Chief Nne Madimbo of Madimbo also expressed concern over the increase in stocktheft cases along the border. He attributed the problem to the vandalism of the border fence. "We are losing our cattle to organised syndicates involving suspects from both South Africa and Zimbabwe and this is largely because of the boundary fence which has been vandalised by border jumpers, resulting in cattle straying into either side of the border. The rustlers are now taking advantage of that," he said. He said some of the stolen cattle were recently recovered by members of the South African army. This was after the suspects were intercepted by the soldiers at Madimbo military training base. Madimbo and Tshitulipasi villages are situated along the Limpopo River.

Publisher: www.chronicle.co.zw/28/07/09